This is a collection of news about border issues, particularly those seen from Arizona and regarding the right to keep and bear arms. Sources often include Mexican media. It's often interesting to see how different the view is from the south.
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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

AZMEX SPECIAL 1 MAY 2012 ARIZONA in spotlight.

Note: This one especially for AZ. Some here going to be upset. Not
all that sure about how solid is the control of el chapo. But no
doubt that it is extensive. Obviously on both sides. Read it
closely. This is from "Proceso" one of the major national
publications in Mexico.

The desert, the great ally of "El Chapo"
J. JESUS ESQUIVEL
APRIL 30, 2012 ·
SPECIAL REPORT

Agua Prieta, Son. (Process). - The border between Sonora and Arizona
is the front door to the drug trade between Mexico and the United
States. Agents from both countries agree that it is an area where
there is very little violence and is under the control of the Sinaloa
cartel.

"About two months ago people came from Los Zetas and the Beltran
Leyva to Nogales, Sonoita and San Luis Rio Colorado. They came to
dispute control of the area, but the people of the Sinaloa cartel
swept them away, "says a Mexican agent process who requested anonymity.

On the northern border of this state, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman is the
master of the drugs. "The border with Sonora is the leading broker of
marijuana and some synthetic drugs. And yes, prevails here the
Sinaloa cartel, "says an agent of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
(DEA), who like his Mexican colleague asked that his name be kept
confidential.

He added that along the 626 km border it shares with these arid
Arizona Mexican territory most of the marijuana, heroin and
methamphetamine entering the United States is moved by the Sinaloa
cartel.

"This is the most porous of all the border between Mexico and the
United States. The desert of Arizona, which is very difficult to
police as a whole, is the best ally of Chapo Guzman and his people to
move drug shipments, "he stresses.

U.S. officials and Mexico consulted by this weekly did not venture to
make an estimate of how much marijuana the Sinaloa cartel moves to
Arizona.

Every day, Border Patrol agents guarding U.S. confiscate this area
trafficked marijuana and psychotropic pills in this region by Chapo's
people.

In an interview with Proceso the head of Public Relations for the
Bureau of Customs and Border Protection in Tucson (CBP, for its
acronym in English), Mario Escalante, states:
"Nationally could say that our judgments and are based solely on the
seizures that we, by this boundary moves 40% of marijuana coming from
Mexico to the U.S., although other drugs are trafficked, but not in
significant quantities. "

Family domain

The central core and control of the square of the northern frontier
of Sonora is located in Agua Prieta, Mexico officials say the United
States and interviewed by the weekly.

From this city the Sinaloa cartel monitors and coordinates drug
traffic to Arizona. "Move drugs with the trucks, with undocumented
immigrants, with pack animals (horses and mules) and sporadically in
ultralight aircraft," the Mexican agent.

According to sources, the command structure of the Sinaloa cartel in
charge of the square is dominated in Sonora by two families: the
Paredes Machado and Alfredo Salazar headed by Jesus El Indio. For
years, stress, absolute loyalty to Chapo Guzman and Ismael El Mayo
Zambada.

Since the eighties these families are responsible for monitoring the
traffic of drugs coming mainly from Sinaloa to Sonora strategic
points: Agua Prieta, Sonoita, Sasabe, Naco, Nogales, San Luis Rio
Colorado, Costa Rica and Riito.

Further south the state Salazar Paredes Machado and imposing the law
in Imuris, Cananea Caborca, Altar, Santa Ana and Esqueda, in addition
to Puerto Penasco, Freedom, Guaymas, San Carlos and Kino Bay.

The Mexican agent says in Agua Prieta, unlike other border cities,
there is an atmosphere of tranquility.

"Live here several family members of Paredes Machado, El Goyo and El
20, who are the right arm of Chapo and are those responsible for
keeping out the Zetas and the Beltran Leyva statewide," said another
agent interviewed.

The reporter tried unsuccessfully to find out more about El Goyo and
El 20. However, he learned that more than two months ago groups of
assassins and drug traffickers under the command of these subjects
repelled the attempted invasion of the area by the Los Zetas and the
Beltran Leyva.

The Salazar family is originally from Chihuahua, and its ties with
the Sinaloa cartel established by its patriarch, Adan Salazar
Zamorano, Don Adan. The people of Agua Prieta are convinced that the
climate of calm that prevails in this town is due to the strength and
influence of Salazar.

Don Adan, was arrested by Federal Police on 15 February 2011 in the
city of Queretaro, was the representative of El Chapo Guzman
throughout Sonora, was responsible for ensuring the border crossing
in Arizona and delivery of marijuana and other narcotics. After his
arrest his sons, Jesus Alfredo and Adan Salazar Ramirez, took over
operations of the Sinaloa cartel in the state.

In full cooperation with Salazar, although sporadic disputes because
they share joint control of the area, the Paredes Machado
responsibilities include bringing into Mexico from southern Arizona
the cash from the sale of marijuana and other drugs in USA. "This
family is like the financial arm of El Chapo in this region," said
one of the sources consulted by the reporter.

On January 11, 2011 elements of the Federal Police arrested in the
State of Mexico Marco Antonio Paredes Machado, who leads the other
group's criminal drug trafficking organization that is controlled by
Guzman Loera. Earlier, in December 2010, Rodolfo, another Paredes
Machado brother, was arrested by federal police. Rudolph was
responsible for passing marijuana and cocaine to the United States
through tunnels.

American Irresponsibility

In this town, as in other cities of the northern frontier of Sonora,
both Mexican and U.S. authorities say that despite the arrest of
Marco Antonio and Raul, this group associated with the Sinaloa
cartel still owns the area.

U.S. drug agents believe that the success of the organization led by
El Chapo Guzman in the transfer of marijuana and other drugs by
runners of Sonora and Arizona due to his relationship with American
ranchers own extensive desert areas bordering the Mexico. "They pay
their right to cross and go. So marijuana is run through, "said a
U.S. agent.

Once Chapo's people locate the drugs at secure positions across the
northern border of Sonora, and travel to the cities of Phoenix and
Tucson-distribution centers for different parts of the American
Union, the guarantee by some of the Indian reservations of Arizona.

South of Nogales, Sasabe and Sonoyta, in the heart of Pima County,
Pinal, Maricopa, Gila and Yavapai Indian tribes allied with the
Sinaloa cartel are basically two: Tohono O'odham Nation, located 93
kilometers west Tucson, and the Gila River Indian Community, 64
kilometers south of Phoenix.

None of the agents and U.S. officials consulted by the reporter
wanted to make direct accusations against the leaders of these Indian
reservations. "There have been cases where the authorities of these
reservations report incidents of drug trafficking in Mexico," says
the head of CBP, Mario Escalante.

Mexican authorities on the southern U.S. border are responsible for
ensuring the welfare and respect for human rights of migrants
complain that drug seizures by the U.S. authorities are minimal, and
they do not doing enough to curb demand and consumption of drugs.

"The day that the U.S. authorities understand that they need to act
tough against drug consumers, and stop criminalizing Mexican
migration who only come to do an honest job, will help to Mexico in a
more pragmatic to fight a problem that costs lives of Mexicans, "says
Oscar Antonio de la Torre Amezcua, consul of Mexico in Douglas, Arizona.

Mexican consular officials in Arizona consider that federal agencies
on the U.S. border are not fulfilling their role in stemming the flow
of drugs into their territory, and the money and weapons into Mexico.

Official statistics for 2011 and that focus on only two border
crossings in Arizona, Douglas and Naco, give reason to the consular
authorities of Mexico.

During 2011 the U.S. agents seized 322,761 USD in Douglas and Naco
not a penny. That same year Douglas confiscated six firearms and only
three in Naco. 6,445 kilos of marijuana were seized in Douglas and
Naco 1,274 kilos.

For this year, official statistics cover only the months of January
and February. In the first two months of 2012 were seized 14,336 U.S.
dollars in Douglas, and zero cents in Naco. During that same period
the U.S. authorities not seized any firearm in those two cities in
Arizona. With respect to the drugs, only 1,396 thousand kilos of
marijuana in the city of Douglas.